


Orpheus and his Eurydice

by SerpantKing



Series: Chances [1]
Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Graphic Description, Rated for later sexual situations, potential body horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-17
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-21 06:13:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4818143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerpantKing/pseuds/SerpantKing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam sacrificed herself to be taken by Hannah to protect Josh. Now it is his turn to return to that hell to save her. He will not leave the woman he loves in the mines to become a wendigo. </p><p>-Inspired by danniben's dream-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Journey Back

**Author's Note:**

> This will be the first chapter of either 3 or 4, I haven't decided yet. I hope all of you enjoy the ride. Go check out danniben's tumblr since she is the reason this series is even happening. Thank you so much for letting me use your dream to write this!
> 
> \----  
> I obviously don't own Until Dawn or any of the characters

Josh managed to convince Sam to stay with him and Mike down in the mines. He didn’t want to be alone with the guy that recently struck him for something that he could no longer control. He didn’t want these delusions. He just wanted to get out of this mine and back to a place where he could feel even remotely safe. Away from every friendship that he just damaged. The only one that didn’t seem too mad at him was Sam. She had always been the most patient. The most understanding. She figured him out even before the reveal, when he couldn’t catch her as his psycho persona. Sammy probably knew even before that. He believed that because of all that, she decided to stay despite being scared and disappointed. 

The three young adults made it to the underground lake. The waters were freezing and there was something not quite right about them. The three carefully jumped in, the two boys first then the blonde. Mike, the newly found action hero, took the lead through the stagnant depths. Suddenly there was movement. Mike dove into the disgusting water, hoping the other two would follow his lead, but he was wrong. A large white wendigo burst forth from the depths. It bore sharp fangs and stared with bulging milky eyes. Sam took Josh by the back of his overalls and pulled him into the water. She made quick jerky movements to catch the creature’s attention, so it would be distracted enough to forget that Josh even existed. 

“Hey! Over here!”

Sam ran to the adjacent shore line and waited for, what she thought was, her untimely demise. As the wendigo was upon her, she saw it. A butterfly tattoo. Hannah’s butterfly tattoo. She knew that thing anywhere. She was there when that silly test told Hannah to get the thing. The young blonde went with her best friend and her twin to the tattoo studio and sat for hours while the shy brunette agonized over what to get. That simple butterfly marked this creature. It was once Hannah. Tears filled Sam’s eyes as she wondered if her best friend was still inside that monster shell. If there was anything she could do to prevent that toothy maw from tearing into her mercilessly.

“Hannah? Hannah! It’s me, Sam!”

The wendigo stopped to assess Sam momentarily. It gripped her with its large clawed hand and ran an elongated thumb over her hair, jaw, shoulder, arm, anything that it could feel to distinguish her. Sam knew those milky eyes were virtually blind. Does she remember? Her hands gripped at the hand that held her so tight that it was nearly crushing her. She feebly attempted to push a digit or two away just to increase her breathing room. The wendigo continued to look over her until it was satisfied. It let out a horrible scream into the open room and took off down a corridor that seemed inaccessible. Josh and Mike watched in horror as the creature and Sam disappeared into the void of darkness. 

“We need to go after them! Sam is still alive, she-“

Mike charged over and gripped the front of Josh’s overalls and shook him. His face flushed an angry shade of red. His eyes blood shot and puffy. He had cried too. His whole form was shaking. His teeth gritted and bore to the other young man.

“Sam is gone!”

“No, she-“

“She is GONE and it is ALL YOUR FAULT!”

The tears came freely for both of them. Josh broke down into a grief stricken mess. Mike shed his hateful tears as he firmly stood and forced Josh to look into the hell where their friend was dragged off.

“We can’t chase them down. Sam will be dead before we can even reach her. Just like Jess…”

“I didn’t want any of that to happen to Jess, Mike. Don’t punish Sam. Don’t let her die!”

“Sam is already DEAD. It is TOO LATE.”

Mike began to pull Josh behind him. He was determined to get them both out and back to the lodge. Josh struggled against the other young man’s grip on him. He stared into the profound darkness where Hannah took Sam and wanted nothing more than to ditch his angry companion and try to find his only friend that he had left. As he struggled, the grip on him only tightened until Mike finally had enough and slung the uncooperative brunet over his shoulders, military style. The thin man managed to carry Josh back to the entrance of the mine, and even the rest of the way back to the lodge. He was running on adrenaline and pure hatred for the man he had in his arms. The only reason he hadn’t dumped the dead weight was because he promised Sam that he would extract Josh from the mines. He did what he promised. Now if the guy joined Sam in death, he didn’t care. He kept his promise.

Inside the lodge, the rest of the friends waited and wept. They were missing three, though. The room was heavy and silent. All eyes were on Mike to explain the absence of their spunky blonde companion. Their eyes asked ‘Where is Sam?’ louder than screams. Em’s eyes burned into Mike’s furiously. She pushed off of her perch at the desk and stalked toward her ex menacingly.

“Where. Is. Sam?”

“A wendigo took her into the depths of the mine.”

“Is she alive?”

“The thing took her alive, but I couldn’t-“

“You couldn’t what, MIKE? I REALLY want to know.”

“I couldn’t drag Josh’s useless ass through the mines.”

“You could carry Josh back, but you couldn’t BE BOTHERED to get Sam?”

“I did what I could and I-“

A loud smack resounded through the basement. Emily drew her hand back. A rage induced flush painted her features. She had enough of Mike and his stupid antics. He nearly killed her and now another one of their friends is gone thanks to his incompetence. Ash covered her gaping mouth with her hands. Chris’s face was plastered with anger and shock at what Mike let happen. Josh was shaking and crying. He could still hear Sam’s struggling and gasping. 

“Well, thanks to you, she probably IS DEAD. You can’t pin that one on Josh, THAT, Mike, was ALL YOU.”

Suddenly the thundering, sporadic noise of wendigo movement was heard in the air. Chris ran and shut the door where the noise was coming from. All the remaining friends made their way upstairs. To their surprise and horror, there were two other wendigo waiting for them in the main hall. One perched on the large chandelier and the other stalking near the living room.

“Don’t move a fucking muscle.”

The companions stayed deathly still as another wendigo entered the scene. They watched the deadly dance as they fought and flew in all directions. Josh and mike exchanged looks as they formulated a plan to clear out the wendigo. Mike slowly made his way to an exposed light bulb in a decorative sconce. Each remaining friend darted from hiding spot to hiding spot, making their way to the front entrance. Josh and Mike were playing a deadly game of hide and seek with the remaining wendigo. The large white one was smart. It was Hannah and she was out to end both of them. Mike crushed the bulb in his hands as Josh provided distractions, from flicking lights to tossing decorations. He was always better than her at this game, so he was able to remain hidden from her prying eyes. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Mike make his way out the door. He darted for the door, triggering the switch for the broken bulb on his way out. Outside, dawn was breaking. Matt had rejoined the group and the rescue chopper was looming about in the sky. He was not going anywhere without Sam. She was still in those damned mines. Alive. He was sure of it. 

“I need to go back to the mines.”

“Fine, Josh, get your crazy ass killed.”

“Please…Chris…Em? Make them wait. Just for a little while. I think I know where Hannah took Sam.”

“If you think you can get Sam back, we’ll have them wait.”

“Thanks, Cochise, if we don’t make it in time, we still have the lift keys.” Josh pats his pocket.

“You better bring her back!”

“I will, Em.”

“Good luck, man. I just got out of those damned mines. There are several collapsed areas. Be careful.”

Josh gave Matt a nod and started making his way back to the mine shaft that Hannah initially tossed him into. He jumped into the abyss and hoped to anything out there that he could find Sammy. She had to be alive. He could feel it. He promised himself that he would find her. Or he would die trying. He would not leave her down there to become a wendigo. Never.


	2. Into the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh makes his way back into the mines. The darkness is never ending. The paths are many. Will he be able to find Sam in time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is late late late, but I hope it is worth it. Thank you for sticking with me. We still have another chapter to go!
> 
> \-----
> 
> Until Dawn and its characters belong to Supermassive Games. The end.

The young man slid down the mine shaft and landed on his rear. He slowly gathered his wits and made his way back through the corridor, back to the lake. His mind was now tormenting him with images of Sam. Her body was lifeless and her eyes were clouded like a dead fish. She kept asking him why Hannah killed her. Why he and Mike didn’t do anything.Tears flooded down his cheeks in streams. None of this was real, but he could almost touch her. A sick feeling flooded his stomach and he began to wretch. He needed to be stronger than this. The brunet had to shoo that phantom away. She was alive. He knew it. She had to be down in these mines somewhere. He shuffled into the icy waters and continued to the shore where Hannah took Sam. There was a narrow fissure that was just barely large enough to shimmy through. A few feet above it was the tunnel that Hannah carried Sam through. Josh knew he wasn’t strong enough to make the climb to the tunnel, but he certainly could risk the narrow fissure. He took a deep breath and gathered up a newfound determination. He turned sideways and began his journey into the dark crevice. 

The fissure seemed to go on forever, but at least it maintained a consistent width. A dim light filled the space that he was coming upon. He hoped that Sam would be there waiting for him. Despite the scrapes and snags in his clothing, Josh came away from that relatively unharmed. He slid out of the fissure carefully and was greeted with a long series of tunnels that were populated with old furniture and mostly collapsed mine shafts. He carefully observed the area and spotted it. A piece of Sam’s jacket was sitting there just waiting for him. Smart Sammy, she left a trail of breadcrumbs for him. He gently picked up the scrap of fabric and held it tightly to his chest. He started to jog down the corridors that weren’t collapsed.

“Sam!”  
Josh choked out the young woman’s name. He could barely speak from all of the yelling and the dehydration that dried out his throat. But he needed to find her. He needed to.

“Sammy! Please, oh God, please answer me!”

The brunet’s eyes darted around the tunnels, looking for any sign of his dear girl. She must be feeling lonely. She must be scared. Sammy had always been afraid of being in the dark alone. He pulled out his phone. It still had 60% battery life. He disengaged the lock screen and activated the flashlight app. He began to run through each corridor, eventually running into cave-ins at the end of every one. Frustration began to take hold of him. The tears came again, along with visions of her dead body. Each progressively worse than the last. Sometimes Hannah would sit there laughing, saying that Sam was hers now. No. None of this can be. He ran, once more, to the main corridor. He collapsed to his knees as the visions continued to hound him.

“Please no…”

Josh’s eyes darted around erratically, straining to find anything that he could have missed. 

“Sam, where are you? Please…please come back to me.”

The silence in the air was all that greeted his pleas. He was alone. There was no Sam. No wendigo. No sisters. The silence was killing him. The isolation tore at every sense. The foundations were all falling to pieces. He was lost down here in these damned mines. So was she. He sobbed feebly. She would be a wendigo at this rate and it would be his fault. Mike was right.

“Sammy! Sammy!! Please don’t leave me! Don’t leave me! Where are you?”

He couldn’t just sit there. He weakly pulled himself to his feet. Sobs still wracked his body. Nothing seemed to steady him, but he had to keep going. The young man’s blurry eyes could barely see anything. The light from the cellphone cut through the darkness, but he could still see only bits and pieces. Step by step he ventured further in. There was nothing but the sounds of his feet softly pulling pebbles and loose sediment with him. 

“Sam! Please answer me!”

One more time. Josh would tell himself that this tunnel would be it. This was the only thing that could keep him going. He was not going to let Sam die in these mines. She didn’t deserve this. 

“Sammy! I’m so sorry! I was wrong, Sam! Please come back…I shouldn’t have done this…”

As Josh pleaded with the air and grasped at the wall to find any sort of hold, he felt it. There was another scrap of fabric. Near it was a tunnel. It was dark as the void of space. Dark as a blackout in New York City. The expanse practically ate the light emanating from his phone, but he had to go. Sam was there. He needed to see her. He needed to hold her again. He shined his light down the corridor and began to run down it. Faster. Run faster. He ran and stumbled through the seemingly endless darkness. There seemed to be no sign of life. But she had to be here. 

“SAM!!!”

His voice echoed through the tunnel, but this time was different. He could hear someone that was not him talking back. Oh, God, she was here. His feet carried him as fast as he could manage. The darkness finally was giving way to something else. There was a dim light. The tunnel came into a room that was at the bottom of a shaft. The gentle dawn was illuminating the space slightly. In the center the young blond woman was laying on her side amidst a collection of human and deer bones. Her small form shivered as she barely raised herself up. She was alive. Alive. Thank God. 

“Oh God, Sammy!”

The young man sprinted to the blonde and gathered her up in his arms. The scent of her hair. The slight heat radiating off of her skin. That was enough to chase his visions away. The phantoms in his brain couldn’t tell him that she was dead any longer. She was here in his arms. He could feel her small hands grasping his clothes and her soft sobs wracking her body. He was crying too. The tears wouldn’t stop, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered besides her. 

“Sam, you’re alive! You’re alive…Please tell me that I’m not dreaming.”

“You came back for me, Josh. You’r e here.”

To confirm her words, he held her tighter to his form. Nothing could take her away now. He could do this. He could get them out. There was still time. 

“Sammy, let’s go. Everyone is waiting for you.”

“Josh, I don’t think I can move.”

Sam gestured down her leg to an area that didn’t look right. Josh gently ran his finger tips over the area and even at that slight touch, Sam flinched away. Pain filled her features as a few stray tears dripped down her cheeks. It was broken. Hannah had broken Sam’s leg. 

“I’ll carry you.”

“I doubt you can carry me all the way back. It’s enough that you came for me, Josh. You can go. It’s okay-“

“No it’s NOT. I will find a way to get us both out of here. You’re not going to die. I won’t let you.”

Josh held Sam’s head close to his chest as he sobbed into her hair. If he hadn’t gone off of his meds. If he hadn’t formulated this prank. If he hadn’t gotten them to come back to this damned place. If he hadn’t gotten her to come back. 

“I’m so sorry, Sammy. I’m so sorry…You don’t know how many times I rehearsed that to you while you were asleep. I know that you are disappointed in me, but at least believe in me.” 

Sam pulled away a little and looked into Josh’s swollen green eyes. He was broken, but determined. She relented and gave him an encouraging smile. 

“I believe in you, Josh. Let’s go home…”

The brunet gave her a nod. He positioned himself in front of her. 

“Drape your arms over my shoulders and let your weight rest on my back. It’ll be like the piggyback rides I used to give you when we were kids.”

The young woman did as she was asked. Josh slowly rose to his feet, lifting her with him. He was careful not to disturb the fractured area of her leg more than he had to. She let her head rest in his neck. It was warm and comforting to her. He couldn’t help but nuzzle her warm cheek. He looked back down the tunnel and started to slowly make his way down it. 

“Sam?”

“Yes, Josh?”

“Earlier I told you about the apology I rehearsed to you.”

They reached the end of the pitch black tunnel and into the main corridor. Josh knew he couldn’t bring her back the way he came, so he decided to search in the other direction. Maybe there would be a way out. He let himself give another nuzzle to Sam’s warm cheek. The feel of her against him was enough to give him the energy to keep trudging down these tunnels.

“Yeah, what about it?”

“I also…”

“Yes?”

“I…I rehearsed something else to you.”

“What was it, Josh? A monologue? A play? A deep dark secret?”

“Something like that…Look, Sam, please just let me say this…I don’t know what is going to happen and I need you to know.”

Sam clung tighter to his shoulders. Her heart was raising into her throat. There never really seemed to be a right time for any of this, but if it was what she was thinking then she was ready for it.

“Sam, I love you, I always have. I always will. You don’t need to answer me now. I know you’re upset with me. I know I fucked up everything. I nearly got you killed. Hannah nearly killed you. I’m sorry for everything. I want more than anything to make things right. I want more than anything to earn your trust. To earn your love. I know I put up a wall. The funny thing is that whenever I did, you’d tear it right back down. You could always see through me. You could always see me. I’m sorry that I waited so long to tell you. I love you, Sam. I swear to you that I mean it. I hope one day that you’ll forgive me enough to give it a try. To try being with me, as unworthy as I am of you.”

Josh’s head hung a little. This was a lot for him to confess. It was a lot for Sam to take in. A sob tore from Sam’s lips. Even after everything. Even after this crazy night and all of the pain that was inflicted. After this long night of monsters and horrible pranks. Nothing could stop her from feeling how she felt for him. Nothing.

“Josh…”

His name on her mouth sent a shiver through his body. Hearing how sad that word sounded from her lips. It was painful. He knew that she was upset. How could she not be? He just hoped… Maybe one day he would try again.

“Sammy…”

“I love you too.”

That simple statement started a chain reaction in him. The young man smiled and began to sob as he walked along. The tears flowed endlessly down his cut and bruised cheeks. She loved him too? He couldn’t believe it. He needed to hear her say it again, just to confirm that he wasn’t hearing things that weren’t said. He needed this more than food. More than water. More than light. His heart hung in his throat and his stomach did backflips. 

“Please, Sammy, say that again.”

“Despite everything tonight…I love you, Josh. More than anything. After everything is done…let’s try being together.”

Sam raised her head slightly and planted a gentle kiss to Josh’s cheek. She belonged to him. She always had, even from the start. Now, if they could make it out, they could finally be together. Nothing could stop them any more. Her heart was light. It rested gently in her chest and warmed her entire body. Nothing else mattered right now. She could be happy, even if she died, she would be happy.

The corridor began to funnel into an open area. There was a map pinned to the wall, indicating that they were nearing another mine entrance. A little bit of rubble was blocking it off. Josh gently placed Sam on the ground and began pulling at some of the small pieces. If he could remove the parts that weren’t structural, maybe they could use this as a way out. He fussed with the stones and broken pieces of beams for several moments before he could clear a spot just big enough for the two to comfortable fit through. He went back to his love and hoisted her up on his back once more. The two of them carefully maneuvered out of the debris and into the open air. They made it. They were out.

Josh followed the path and the two made it back to the lodge in elated silence. The building was completely burned to the ground. All of the memories that were within were destroyed in the fire. He supposed it was better this way. His parents shouldn’t have built on this fucked up mountain to begin with. He walked up to the structure and picked up a single photo of himself with his sisters. He gently placed it in his pocket and looked up. The rescue copter was gone, along with their friends.

“Looks like we’re taking the lift back down.”

“As long as we get off of this mountain, it doesn’t really matter. Besides, we have a lot to talk about.”

Josh smiled and gave a slight nod.

“Yeah, Sammy, I suppose we do.”

The young man carried the blonde to the control building where the console waited to be started. He placed the key into the start mechanism and turned it. The console came to life and the gondola came to rest at the dock. Josh gently placed Sam on a seat and closed the door. He cradled her softly as the gondola made the trek back down Blackwood. 

“What do we do now?”

“Well, I suppose I need to take you to the hospital and-“

“I mean about us. Josh, you need help before we become an item. You need to get back on something that can help you. I know you disassociate. I know you were driven to this whole scheme by not being on your meds. Please, see someone, anyone and be honest with them. Please, I need you to be here in this reality. I need you to be here with me.”  
Josh looked down at Sam. Her look was serious and he knew she was right. Those meds made him feel so sick. They made him barely able to function without feeling like a robot. He was given the wrong things in the wrong doses. She was right. He had never been fully honest with Doc Hill, or with any other professional to be truthful. She knew, she always knew. And he had to be ready to let her in. That wasn’t going to happen if he kept being dishonest with the doctors and with himself. 

“I know, Sammy. I will do it. I don’t want to hurt you ever again.”

Sam smiled sweetly up at him. That smile that could melt the ice that he used to protect his heart. He didn’t need to tear himself apart for her. She already knew him. She already loved him, even the crappy parts. He couldn’t help himself. One hand gently cupped her chin and rose it slightly as he angled his mouth over hers. Her eyes dreamily fluttered closed as their lips met. His eyes lidded as he allowed himself to just experience her. To experience his Sammy. The kiss was warm and sweet. Her lips, though windblown and dehydrated, were better than silken sheets to him. He wanted more. He needed to feel more. His mouth opened against hers and greedily captured her lower lip. He sucked at it and begged silently for entry to her soft wet mouth. She slightly parted her lips for him as he slid his tongue past them. It loved at her tongue and caused a sweet heat to pool in both of their stomachs. He held her tightly as his tongue continued its ministrations on her own. Her taste was something that he couldn’t get enough of, but he knew that he had to part from her. He had to before things got out of hand. She was still injured and he still had things to make up for. But oh Sam, his Sam, and he was hers. Always.


	3. Back to Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh and Sam may be off of the mountain, but that doesn't mean that everything is concluded. There are still issues to resolve and insecurities to lay to rest. Nothing is perfect, but with some work it may be as close as it will get for this world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so damn long. I have had a lot going on, plus being sick doesn't help ever. Thanks for sticking around. I decided that I'll have one more chapter besides this one. I just need a little bit of a rest period for the last one becuase of all of the kink meme stuff I've written for the past few days. So, hang on just a little bit longer because this aught to be good.
> 
> \-----
> 
> I don't own anything from Until Dawn, I just write happy AU's.

The new couple made it down the mountain and passed the gate with only minimal obstruction. There was no rescue waiting for them. Only Josh’s truck patiently waited to take the two down to the hospital. Sam desperately attempted to call everyone until she was finally able to reach Chris. The shaken young man sounded nearly in tears as he answered.

“Sam? Sammy? Is that really you?”

“Yes, Chris, it’s really me. Did everyone make it?”

“Yes, Jess actually made it through that hell hole of a mine by herself. Can you believe it? It seems that she and Matt just barely missed each other. Is Josh with you? Are you both okay?”

Sam’s head was ringing from the bombardment of questions from her friend. She understood though, they had all probably been worried sick. 

“I’m with Josh. He seems to be okay, but my leg is bro –“

Sam heard a desperate struggle on the other end. 

“Hey…What the!”

“Give it here, Christopher!”

The other voice sounded like Em. She sounded upset from whatever situation they were in.

“Sammy! Oh thank god that stupidass, Josh, got you out of those mines. I swear, I forbid you from caving ever EVER agin. Do you hear me?”

“I don’t think I will be for a long while. My leg is broken.”

“Oh my god, Sammy! We’re all close to being done at the ranger station. We’ll meet you at the hospital later. It isn’t too bad, is it? It’s so hard to coordinate a good outfit with crutches.”

Sam giggled at her friend. Em always had an odd way of showing concern, but it usually came through loud and clear to her. The blonde let her friend know which hospital they were heading to and hung up since her phone was close to dead. 

Josh looked over at Sam, glad to see her in such high spirits. The adrenaline was still probably acting in her system, keeping her from being in too much pain for the time being. He hit the gas in the attempt to get her to their destination soon. The young man wanted his new girlfriend in the hospital before the real pain started to kick in.

-Hours Later-

The rest of the group arrived in the waiting room to find Josh with his head cradled in his hands. Jess was in the ER, but every other face was still accounted for. They each picked a seat in the room, their proximity to Josh decided by the amount of trauma they faced during the evening. Most treated the young man like a leper. Not wanting much to do with him. 

The first to even approach was Em. She was furious, of course, but she needed to know about Sam. 

“So, what’s the damage?”

Josh’s green eyes listlessly looked up into Em’s brown orbs. 

“Her tibia has a spiral fracture. The doctors should be setting it right now.”

Em sat next to her friend and crossed her arms.

“That sucks. So, is there anything else you want to tell me?”

Josh slowly turned his head to the young woman. He looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what she wanted from him.

“What do you –“

“You know what I mean, you idiot. You and Sam are worse than Chris and Ash, I fucking swear.”

“Oh, that, well…”

“Did she turn you down, or did you even ask?”

Josh wrung his hands. Em was always so direct. It’s what he admired about her, but at the same time it always made him nervous. Like he was being admonished by a teacher, or even by his own father. It was kind of a relief though, it made him think about things other than Sam’s present condition.

“No, I confessed. Just, there are conditions.”

“Like?”

“I have to go see Doc Hill as soon as I can. She won’t date me until I’m in my right mind again. I get it…I made her miserable. Traumatized. God, I’m so stupid…stupid…stupid. As if dressing like a psycho and chasing her down would make her confess her feelings. I was so…”

“Dumb? Yes, you were dumb. It’ll probably even take her a while to fully trust you again, but at least you got a ‘yes’.”

“Yeah…and something stuck when I was chasing her…”

“What would that be?”

“She cried out for me.”

“What?”

“Mine was the first name she called when she was ‘in danger’ and I got some sick pleasure out of it. I should have stopped. She didn’t deserve that. After everything…she….she didn’t…”

The brunet sobbed into his palms. He was ashamed. Saddened. Guilt ridden. He hurt the woman that he loved for what? For a confession? For revenge? For some sick pleasure? All of it, perhaps was true. God he was sick. Sick sick sick. How could Sam even begin to forgive him for all of that shit? His head clouded with waking nightmares of the blonde changing her mind. Of her never wanting anything to do with him again. His body began to shudder until he felt a warm hand on his back.  
“Stop it, Josh… You know that none of that is true.”

Did she hear him?

“Idiot…You know Sammy better than anyone. Is that what she would say? Or is that what you would say?”

“M-me…It’s what I would say. Why should I be forgiven?”

Em heaved a sigh and flagged Chris over. She knew he wasn’t quite ready to forgive Josh, but he was…is still his best friend. And the best bet of having Josh maintain any semblance of stability. 

Chris trudged over. The night had worn on him. Every nerve was nearly shot to hell. At least Josh’s plan to practically throw Ash into Chris’s arms kind of worked. They confessed. They will eventually be happy and stable. The blonde boy kneeled in front of his friend.

“Hey…”

“Hi, Cochise. How is Ash holding up?”

“She’s shaken, but alive. How is Sammy? I didn’t get many answers over the phone since a certain someone-“

The young man stared down Em in a half joking way.

“-decided to take my phone from me while I was still talking.”

“Her leg is fractured, but she’ll be okay I guess…I don’t know how okay our relationship will be, but we’ll see.”

“Bro, that girl is more forgiving than any of us. You tortured her like a little shit, yes. You also fucking know how afraid she is of super natural stuff. You still did that shit any way…”

“…”

“If I were her I wouldn’t talk to you for months, maybe even a year…”

Tears dripped down Josh’s nose, onto the white tiled hospital floor. His bloodshot eyes reflected back to him in the shiny surface. 

“…But I’m not her, am I? When she gets out, she’ll probably be mad. She’ll probably try to get you to go back on your meds, which you fucking should by the way. But I doubt that she’ll be mad enough to stay away from you. She’s loved you for a long time, man. I think that she probably told Han before any of us. She was always fighting with herself over the right time, the right place. After your sisters’ accident…nothing seemed right any more.”

Chris placed his hands on Josh’s shoulders while Em continued soothing his back. The young man got right up in his friend’s face. He needed the brunet to listen to him for once. 

“You need to be the one to make things right now. It can’t be just Sammy any more. You’ve been deflecting all of the responsibility onto her for a long time now. She needs a break. You need to be able to let her lean on you too, but she can’t right now because of how messed up you let yourself become. The lying. The not taking your meds. The blame. This shit has to stop, Bro.”

Josh gave a choked laugh and finally looked his best friend in the face willingly.

“I thought I wasn’t your ‘Bro’ any more, Bro.”

Chris huffed out a sigh.

“Jesus…Of course you’re still my Bro, but you’re still, as you so eloquently put it, a dumb dumb. And an ass. And you need to treat Sam right. Fix yourself before you hurt her.”

“I know…I know. I just hope she…”

“You already fucking know that she wants to be with you. For hells sakes, she’s wanted to be with you for years. You’ve just been too blind to recognize that, Mr. BONE ZONE! Stop the pity party and do something about it.”

Josh cracked a small smile. He immediately tensed and rose from his seat when the nurse came from the patient hall, into the waiting room. The older man approached Josh slowly and eyed him, as if assessing all of his flaws at once.

“Are you Samantha’s family?”

“I’m…”

Josh chocked as the red headed man stared him down with an expression that could freeze hell over.

“I’m her boyfriend. Is she okay? Can I see her?”

“The surgery was successful. She’s still pretty out of it, but you can see her now.”

The rest of the group clamored around the nurse.

“How about Jess? How is she doing?”

The nurse turned to Mike, whose eyes were puffy from sobbing over at the ranger station. The night’s events finally caught up to him.

“She’s in stable condition. She needed several stitches to her lip and she may require disk surgery since several columns in her spine were damaged. It’s a great wonder that she was still able to move around. She also has three cracked ribs. She’s presently heavily sedated, so she won’t be having visitors right now. You may see her in the morning.”

“I see. Well, can the rest of us accompany this bozo to see Sammy?”

“You may, but I’ll have to boot you in an hour. She needs her rest.”

The group looked at the nurse appreciatively as he led them into the patient hall. They made their way down several corridors until they came upon Sam’s room. The nurse knocked and announced himself and the group of friends before opening the door. 

Sam looked up and smiled as her friends came pouring into the room. Emily reached her first and flung her arms around the blonde’s neck in a gentle embrace. Ash was next with a hug and a kiss to the forehead. Matt embraced her a little more roughly since he was one of the last to receive news that she had made it. Mike stroked Sam’s hair gently and apologized for letting Hannah take her and cooed how proud he was that she made it down the mountain in that condition. Chris placed a brotherly kiss to Sam’s forehead. He wept and told her how scared he was that he’d never see her or Josh again. And how happy he was that she made it. He squeezed her hand gently and whispered something that was just made for her knowledge. She nodded at Chris and smiled. The blonde man looked around the room to find where Josh was. The brunet found seating near the window. He was letting the rest of the group have their moments first. The friends exchanged small smiles as the blonde ushered the rest of the group out. They needed to go to the hotel and get some sleep.

“We’ll be back in the morning. By that time we should be able to see Jess too.”

“I’m so glad she made it.”

“Me too, Sammy. And Josh?”

“Yeah, Cochise?”

“Remember what we talked about earlier?”

“Yeah.”

The tall blonde nodded his approval at Josh and closed the door behind him. Josh rose from his seat by the window and moved closer to Sam. She looked so tired and fragile. He wasn’t used to seeing her this way. He hated it. Never again would this happen. Never again would he cause this woman pain or suffering. 

“Sammy…”

“Yes, Joshua?”

The brunet smirked. At least his girlfriend had enough energy to be sarcastic. That’s his girl…

“I had a talk with Em and Chris.”

“I figured you had one with Chris, Em is kind of a surprise. What did you talk about?”

“Only you could form full sentences while you’re all doped up, Sammy…What a trooper.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“We talked about me…about us. I’m still so fucked up, Sammy. Are you sure you want to be with me?”

“Of course, Josh. I’ve been waiting forever for things to be all right…but I know there will never be a ….perfect…day…time…place…Jeeze, I can’t think at all now. What did you do?”

“Heh…Meds finally hitting you, eh?”

“I love you, Josh. I just want you to get help.”

Josh’s eyes began to water. She actually said it again. This was real. He wiped away his tears and nuzzled his girlfriend’s nose. He smiled as she giggled up at him.

“I love you too. Sammy, I promise you I will talk to Hill again. As much as I don’t want to, I will. For you…and for me.”

Sam nodded. Sleep was ready to take her, but she wasn’t quite ready to go yet. She reached up and stroked Josh’s cheek. The young man leaned in and brushed his lips gently to hers. He cupped her face delicately in his hands, careful not to move her too much. The brunet slowly slanted his lips over hers and brought his lips down for a heated kiss. They both reveled in each other. Neither one wanted to part from the other. They were together now. Everything else could wait. The world around them could wait. Josh desperately needed this moment. This solid ground for his mind to hold to until he could get home. Get medicated. This was his foothold on Earth. This was his reality. She was his and his mind no longer questioned it. 

Their lips parted and Josh already missed the contact. He knew that she needed sleep though.

“I’ve already denied you a proper bath, I can’t deny you sleep too.”

“Sweet dreams, Josh.”

“Sweet dreams, Sammy.”

“I promise I’ll still be yours when you wake up.”

Josh took Sam’s hand in his own and held it tightly for a moment. He watched as his love’s eyes fluttered closed and her breath evened out into one of a gentle dream’s embrace. Satisfied, the young man leaned back in his seat and texted Dr. Hill. 

“Sorry for ignoring you. The prank went bad. I need to talk soon.”

It didn’t take long for the doctor to reply.

“I’m glad that you are safe. We’ll talk soon. We can even do it over the phone if you want?”

“I need sleep. I’ll let you know when is good. You know I went cold turkey. Need to adjust my meds.”

“We can talk about that too. Have a good rest, Joshua. Keep me informed.”

Josh grimaced down at his phone. It needed to happen, but he wasn’t looking forward to informing the good doctor about his delusions or whatever they were. Same goes for the prank. He just hoped that the doctor wouldn’t want to lock him up in a correctional facility. He just barely got his wish to be with Sammy. He couldn’t take the thought of being parted from her. The brunet looked at the young woman’s peaceful sleeping face. If that is what it took though, he would do what he needed to be able to make her happy. Nothing could stop his determination. He would do anything for her. 

Josh was Orpheus and Sam, his Eurydice.


End file.
